Collapsible container

ABSTRACT

A collapsible container includes a top panel, a bottom panel, two side panels pivotally connected to the top and bottom panels, and a back panel pivotally connected at one lateral edge to a first one of the two side panels. The back panel in a closed position is fitly set in a rear opening of the container to form a support thereat, and a square supporting frame pivotally connected to a front edge of the first side panel may be pivotally turned to a front opening of the container to form a support thereat, so that the whole container has strong structure without the risk of swaying. When the back panel is pivotally turned to bear against an outer side of the first side panel, the whole container could be collapsed to a flat state to occupy only a small space for easy storage and transport.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a collapsible container that could be extended to stand stably for holding things or collapsed to a flat state for easy storage and transport.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A container for holding things must have a fixed inner space and accordingly a fixed volume. The volume of the container is always in direct proportion to the inner space of the container.

A conventional container could not be collapsed to occupy only a small space, and accordingly requires relatively large space for storage and transport, which inevitably increases the cost of the container.

There is a box formed from pivotally connected metal wire panels. While this type of metal wire box is collapsible, it has poor structural strength and tends to sway in an extended state. Moreover, the metal wire box includes a plurality of large holes and is therefore not suitable for holding private things.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible container that could be extended to provide a structurally strong container for holding things or collapsed to occupy only a small space for easy storage and transport.

The collapsible container of the present invention includes front and rear supporting structure for the container in the extended state to stand stably without swaying.

The collapsible container of the present invention includes a top panel, a bottom panel, and two side panels pivotally connected to the top and bottom panels. The collapsible container further includes a back panel pivotally connected to a first one of the two side panels and may be pivotally turned to close a rear opening of the container.

The back panel in the closed position is fitly set in the rear opening to form a rear supporting structure thereat, preventing a rear part of the container from swaying.

The front supporting structure includes a square frame pivotally connected to a front edge of the first side panel. When the square frame is pivotally turned to fit in a front opening of the container, a front part of the container is prevented from swaying.

The collapsible container of the present invention may have a door pivotally connected to the front opening of the container, so that the container is completely closed.

It is also possible to mount rails in the collapsible container of the present invention for one or more drawers to slidably mount in the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible container according to an embodiment of the present invention in an extended state for use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the collapsible container of FIG. 1 in a collapsed state;

FIG. 3 shows the collapsible container of FIG. 1 with a back panel thereof in an opened position;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows the collapsible container of FIG. 1 having a pivotally turnable square supporting frame provided at a front opening thereof;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary and enlarged sectional view of a front edge of one side panel of the collapsible container of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows the collapsible container of FIG. 1 with a horizontal shelf mounted therein;

FIG. 8 shows the collapsible container of FIG. 1 with horizontal rails mounted therein;

FIG. 9 shows the collapsible container of FIG. 8 with two drawers mounted on the rails;

FIG. 10 shows the collapsible container of FIG. 1 with a door mounted to a front opening thereof;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the circled area of FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 shows the collapsible container of FIG. 10 with the door in a closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 4. A collapsible container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a top panel 10, a bottom panel 20, two side panels 30, 40 pivotally turnably connected at upper and lower edges to the top panel 10 and the bottom panel 20, respectively, and a back panel 50 pivotally turnably connected at one lateral edge to a rear edge of the side panel 40. The container 1 may be collapsed into a flat state by pivotally turning the two side panels 30, 40 about the pivotable upper and lower edges thereof relative to the top panel 10 and the bottom panel 20, as shown in FIG. 2. The back panel 50 may also be pivotally turned about the rear edge of the side panel 40 to bear against an outer side of the side panel 40, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, so as to facilitate the collapsing of the container 1 into the flat state to occupy only a very small space for convenient storage and transport.

The collapsed container 1 may be fully extended into a standing frame again by pivotally turning the two side panels 30, 40 about the pivotable upper and lower edges thereof in a reverse direction relative to the top panel 10 and the bottom panel 20. The back panel 50 may be then pivotally turned away from the side panel 40 to close a rear opening of the standing frame and thereby complete the collapsible container 1 adapted to hold things therein. The back panel 50 in the closed position is fitly set in the rear opening of the standing frame with four edges of the back panel 50 abutting on the rear inner edges of the top panel 10, the bottom panel 20, and the two side panels 30, 40 to produce a supporting effect and prevent the standing frame from deformation and swaying. The top panel 10, the bottom panel 20, and the side panel 30 are provided near and along respective rear inner edge with a flange 21, 31 (the flange on the top panel 10 is not shown in the figures). These flanges 21, 31 serve as stoppers to prevent the back panel 50 from being closed too much into the rear opening of the container 1. The back panel 50 is provided at a free edge with a locking element 51 to lock the closed back panel 50 in place in the rear opening of the container 1. In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the locking element 51 is a rotatable fastening button.

A pivot plate 60 may be provided between the back panel 50 and the side panel 40 to pivotally connect at a front edge to the side panel 40 and at a rear edge to the back panel 50. With the pivot plate 60, the back panel 50 may be turned to very closely bear against the side panel 40 to further reduce an overall thickness of the fully collapsed container 1. On the other hand, when the container 1 is in an extended state and the back panel 50 is turned to close the rear opening of the container 1, the pivot plate 60 allows the back panel 50 to slightly laterally shift and be fitly set in the rear opening of the container 1 easier.

Please refer to FIGS. 5 and 6. A square supporting frame 70 formed from slender bars is provided at an inner side of the side panel 40. A front vertical bar 71 of the square supporting frame 70 is partially enclosed in a curved portion 41 formed at a front edge of the side panel 40, so that the whole square supporting frame 70 may be pivotally turned about the front vertical bar 71 to a front opening of the container 1. The square supporting frame 70 has dimensions similar to that of an inner periphery of the front opening and accordingly provides a support at the front opening, preventing a front portion of the container 1 from deformation and swaying.

With the square supporting frame 70 and the back panel 50 fitted in front and rear openings of the container 1 to provide sufficient supporting strength, it is possible to stack multiple containers 1 without the risk of tilting over. The top panel 10 is provided with four small holes 12, and the bottom panel 20 is provided with four foot pads 22 corresponding to the four small holes 12. When two containers 1 are stacked, the four foot pads 22 of the upper container 1 extend down into the four small holes 12 on the top panel 10 of the lower container 1, enabling the upper container 1 to stably sit on the lower container 1.

The two side panels 30, 40 are correspondingly provided with three rows of horizontally extended slots 32, 42 each, with each row containing at least two slots 32, 42. Please refer to FIG. 7. Four supporting brackets 72 having an L-shaped hook 73 each may be separately hung on front and rear slots 32, 42 at the middle rows on the side panels 30, 40, so that a shelf 74 may be positioned on the four brackets 72 to divide an inner space of the container 1 into an upper and a lower space.

Please refer to FIGS. 8 and 9. Two horizontal rails 75 having at least two L-shaped hooks 76 each are separately hung on the upper rows of slots 32, 42 on the side panels 30, 40, so that a drawer 80 may be guided into an upper part of the container 1 by the two rails 75. Similarly, another two horizontal rails 75 having at least two L-shaped hooks 76 each may be separately hung on the lower rows of slots 32, 42 on the side panels 30, 40, so that another drawer 80 may be guided into a lower part of the container 1 by the two rails 75. In this manner, the container 1 has two drawers 80 for holding things conveniently.

Please refer to FIGS. 10 to 13. The top panel 10 and the bottom panel 20 are correspondingly provided near one end of respective inner front edge with two mounting holes 13, 23. A door 81 is mounted to the front opening of the container 1 by extending upper and lower pivot pins 82 provided at one lateral edge of the door 81 into the mounting holes 13, 23, so that the door 81 may be pivotally turned about the upper and lower pivot pins 82 to open or close the container 1.

As can be clearly seen from FIG. 12, each of the upper and lower pivot pins 82 is mounted on a spring leaf 83, an end of which is connected to a retaining hook 84 fixedly mounted on an upper or a lower edge of the door 81. The other end of the spring leaf 83 is a free end, to where the pivot pin 82 is mounted. With the spring leaves 83, the pivot pins 82 mounted thereon are vertically movable within a predetermined range and can therefore be easily extended into or removed from the mounting holes 13, 23 to mount or dismount the door 81 to or from the front opening of the container 1.

With the above arrangements, the container 1 of the present invention is collapsible for convenient storage and transport, and can stand or be stacked stably without swaying or tilting over. Moreover, the container 1 of the present invention may have shelves, drawers, and doors optionally mounted thereto for the container 1 to be flexibly used in different manners. 

1. A collapsible container, comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, two side panels pivotally turnably connected at upper and lower edges to said top panel and said bottom panel, respectively, and a back panel pivotally turnably connected at one lateral edge to a rear edge of a first one of said two side panels; said container being extendable into a standing container by pivotally turning said two side panels about the pivotable upper and lower edges thereof relative to said top panel and said bottom panel; said back panel being pivotally turnable to fitly set in and close a rear opening of said container with four edges of said back panel abutting on rear inner edges of said top panel, said bottom panel, and said two side panels to produce a supporting effect at a rear part of said container; and a square supporting frame formed from slender bars being pivotally connected to a front opening of said container and having dimensions similar to that of an inner periphery of said front opening so as to provide a support at said front opening.
 2. The collapsible container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said back panel is provided with a locking element for holding said back panel in place when said back panel has been pivotally turned to close said rear opening of said container.
 3. The collapsible container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top panel, said bottom panel, and said side panels are provided near and along respective rear inner edge with a flange; said flanges serving as stoppers to prevent said back panel from being closed too much into said rear opening of said container.
 4. The collapsible container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pivot plate pivotally connect at a front edge to said first side panel and at a rear edge to said back panel; said pivot plate allowing said back panel to slightly laterally shift and be fitly set in said rear opening of said container easier.
 5. The collapsible container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said square supporting frame has a front vertical bar being partially enclosed in a curved portion formed at a front edge of said first side panel, so that said square supporting frame may be pivotally turned about said front vertical bar to invisibly located at an inner side of said first side panel.
 6. The collapsible container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said two side panels are correspondingly provided with at least one row of horizontally extended slots, and at least two slots are contained in each of said rows.
 7. The collapsible container as claimed in claim 6, wherein said horizontal slots on said two side panels allow horizontal rails having at least two L-shaped hooks each to separately hang on said slots for slidably supporting at least one drawer thereon.
 8. The collapsible container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top panel and said bottom panel are correspondingly provided near one end of respective inner front edge with two mounting holes, and a door being pivotally turnably mounted to the front opening of said container by extending upper and lower pivot pins provided on said door into said mounting holes, so that said door may be pivotally turned about said upper and lower pivot pins to open or close said container.
 9. The collapsible container as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of said upper and lower pivot pins is mounted on a spring leaf, said spring leaf having a fixed end connected to a retaining hook fixedly mounted on said door, and a free end opposite to said fixed end, and said pivot pin being mounted on said free end of said spring leaf to be vertically movable within a predetermined range. 